Cerebral Palsy Overview
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a group of disorders affecting body movement, balance, and posture. Loosely translated, cerebral palsy means "brain paralysis." Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal development or damage in one or more parts of the brain that control muscle tone and motor activity (movement). The resulting impairments first appear early in life, usually in infancy or early childhood. Infants with cerebral palsy are usually slow to reach developmental milestones such as rolling over, sitting, crawling, and walking.
Common to all individuals with cerebral palsy is difficulty controlling and coordinating muscles. This makes even very simple movements difficult.
- Cerebral palsy may involve muscle stiffness (spasticity), poor muscle tone, uncontrolled movements, and problems with posture, balance, coordination, walking, speech, swallowing, and many other functions.
- Mental retardation, seizures, breathing problems, learning disabilities, bladder and bowel control problems, skeletal deformities, eating difficulties, dental problems, digestive problems, and hearing and vision problems are often linked to cerebral palsy.
- The severity of these problems varies widely, from very mild and subtle to very profound.
- The magnitude of the problems may wax and wane over time. However, the cause of the condition, the brain abnormality responsible for the cerebral palsy, does not get worse over time. Nevertheless, the clinical picture may show signs of deterioration as the individual ages.
Types of cerebral palsy are as follows:
- Spastic (pyramidal): Increased muscle tone is the defining characteristic of this type. The muscles are stiff (spastic), and movements are jerky or awkward. This type is classified by which part of the body is affected: diplegia (both legs), hemiplegia (one side of the body), or quadriplegia (the entire body). This is the most common type of CP, accounting for about 70% to 80% of cases.
- Dyskinetic (extrapyramidal): This includes types that affect coordination of movements. There are two subtypes.
- Athetoid: The person has uncontrolled movements that are slow and writhing. The movements can affect any part of the body, including the face, mouth, and tongue. About 10% to 20% of cerebral palsy cases are of this type.
- Ataxic: This type affects balance and coordination. Depth perception is usually affected. If the person can walk, the gait is probably unsteady. He or she has difficulty with movements that are quick or require a great deal of control, such as writing. About 5% to 10% of cases of cerebral palsy are of this type.
- Mixed: This is a mixture of different types of cerebral palsy. A common combination is spastic and athetoid.
Many individuals with cerebral palsy have normal or above average intelligence. Their ability to express their intelligence may be limited by difficulties in communicating. All children with cerebral palsy, regardless of intelligence level, are able to improve their abilities substantially with appropriate interventions. Most children with cerebral palsy require significant medical and physical care, including physical, occupational, and speech/swallowing therapy.
Despite advances in medical care, cerebral palsy remains a significant health problem. The number of people affected by cerebral palsy has increased over time. This may be because more and more premature infants are surviving. In the United States, about 2 to 3 children per 1,000 have cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy affects both sexes and all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 3/17/2015
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